Signal pontoon for submarines



Feb. 17, 1942. I B. RIVERA SIGNAL PONTOON FOR SUBMARINES Filed Feb. 5, v 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet. 1

A iiomeys I Feb. 17, 1942. B. RIVERA SIGNAL PONTOON FOR SUBMARINES Filed Feb. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet Ihventor A iiomeys Feb. 17, 1942. RIVERA 2,273,497

SIGNAL PONTOONIFOR SUBMARINES Filed Feb. 3; 1940 4 she'ts sheet s oooo oooo 1h ventor A iiorneys Feb. 17, 1942.

B. RIVERA SIGNAL PONTOON FOR SUBMARINES Filed Feb. 3 1940 Sheets-Sheet 4 In ventor ,56 7/ 7'0 ,B/ ins/"c2:

A tiomeys Patented Feb. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a safety pontoon or sphere for submarines, the general object of the invention being to provide means, whereby the pontoon or sphere can be released from the sub-.

marine, if the same should sink accidentally, with means whereby men in the pontoon ca n furnish air to those in the submarine and can also communicate with the men in the submarine and withmeans whereby the men in the pontoon can radio for help and take other measures for securing help.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure l is a view showing the invention in use with part of the submarine in section and with the sphere or pontoon in raised position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sphere.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the sphere.

Figure 4 is a submarine in plan view with the invention in inoperative position.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the pontoon chamber of the submarine with the parts in inoperative position.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation with parts in section showing the rear part of the pontoon and the means for connecting a cable thereto.

In these drawings, the letter A indicates safety chambers or compartments in the submarine access to which can be had from difierent parts of the submarine through openings which are closed by doors a which are Water-tight when closed and a water-tight door a located in the partition between the chambers. These chambers are provided with the oxygen tanks l and cabinets 2 for food and other supply and any other equipment which may be necessary. A structure B is arranged on the deck of the submarine and forms a chamber for a pontoon P made in the form of a sphere and this chamber for the pontoon is located over the first chamber A and an opening closed by a door 4 provides access between said compartments A and B, a ladder 5 permitting men from the compartment A to pass through the opening into the compartment formed by the structure B. An opening 6 is formed in the top of the structure B for the passage of the pontoon and this opening is closed by the doors 1 which when closed are water-tight and a suitable latch 8 holds the doors 1 closed and this latch can be released from the main compartment A by a cable 9. This permits the doors to be opened by men in the compartment A after the door 4 has been closed. A pipe [0 leads from the top of the structure B into the interior thereof and contains a valve II which when open will permit sea water to enter the structure B and this valve can be open and closed from the chamber A by means of the rod 12. A drum I3 is rotatably supported in the structure B and is provided with a suitable crank whereby it can be rotated and a chain 14 is attached to the drum and said cable is connected by a clevis [5 to a depending part It on the sphere, a guide pulley ll being arranged in the structure B for guiding the cable as the sphere or pontoon passes from the sunken submarine to the surface. The floor of the structure B is formed with a depressed part I9 for receiving the depending part l6 of the pontoon as shown in Figure 5.

A pair of reels 20 are rotatably supported in the structure B and a hose 2| is wound on one reel and a hose 22 on the other, each hose having an extension 2| and 22, these extensions passing into the main chamber A. The hose 2! which is larger than the hose 22 leads to the inlet nozzles 23 in the chambers A while the hose 22' leads to the outlet nozzles 24 in said chambers. The hose and their extensions are so arranged on the reels that air can pass through the parts while they are wound on the reels or are being unwound from the reels. The large hose 2| passes into the pontoon to a point adjacent the top opening 25 therein which is closed in an air-tight manner by the door or hatch 26 provided with the lock operating means 21 at its upper and lower faces. The hose 22 also passes into the pontoon and is connected to the inlet of a pump 28 in the pontoon actuated by a motor M and a hose 29 is connected with the outlet of the pump and leads to the opening 25. Thus when the pump is in operation and the pontoon is at the surface, as shown in Figure 1, the pump will draw air out of the chambers A of the submarine and force it through the opening 25, the hatch or door 26 being open, and the air drawn from the chambers will be replaced by air flown through the hose 2| and its extension 2| and the nozzles 23. i

The pontoon or sphere is formed with the inner and outer walls spaced apart and connected together by the reinforcing means 3| and the space between the two walls is a closed air space which makes the interior of the pontoon more comfortable. A floor 32 is located in the lower part of the pontoon and below this floor is a filling 33 of heavy material which acts to stabilize the pontoon and the pontoon is held against rotary movement as it is ascending and While floating on the surface by the fins 34 and the fins 35 on the member IS. A space is formed in the filling 33 for receiving the batteries 36 and other batteries 3'! and arranged under the supporting member for the pump 28 and its motor. A hand actuating pump 38 may be provided in the pontoon for use if the motor M should fail and said pontoon is provided with a radio 33 the aerial 40 of which i telescoped so that it can pass through the opening 25 when the door 26 is raised and enables the men in the pontoon to radio for help. A telephone 4| is also arranged in the pontoon and wires '62 lead from the telephone to the chamber A so that the men in the sunken submarine and in the pontoon can talk to each other. Also light wires 43 lead from the submarine to the lights 44 in the pontoon. Shelves 45 are also arranged in the pontoons for receiving supplies of various kinds. A control panel 43 is arranged in the pontoon for carrying pressure gauges and the like and the pontoon i also provided with the ports 41 and the signal panel 48.

If the submarine should sink accidentally the men go to the safety chambers A and close the doors and those in the forward chamber pass two of their members into the structure B through the doorway 4 and they enter the pontoon through the door 23 after which the door 26 is closed. Then the men in the chamber A open the valve II so that water will enter the structure B, of course, the door 4 being closed before the valve is open. This will equalize the pressure so that the door 1 can be readily opened when the latch means 8' are released by the men in the chamber A. The pontoon then floats to the surface, the cable l4 playing oil the reel or drum [3 and the hose 2| and 22 playing off the reels 29. When the pontoon reaches the surface the cover or door 26 is opened by the men inside and then they start up the pump 28 to pump air from the chambers A which causes fresh air to pass into the chambers through the hose 2|. The men in the pontoon can also talk over the telephone to the men in the chambers and they can radio for help by means of the radio. They can also place flags on the top of the pontoon and set flares, shoot rockets and do other things to attract attention of boats in the vicinity.

The rear chamber A is provided with an escape opening closed by a door 5| which can be opened from the inside or outside. Also if desired electric lamps 5| may be placed on the top of the pontoon.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In safety means for submarines, a buoyant chamber forming member having an opening in its top, a door for closing such opening, a flexible member connecting the buoyant member with the submarine, a hose leading from the buoyant member into the submarine and said hose having a portion located in the buoyant member with an end arranged adjacent one side of the opening in said buoyant member, said hose having an unobstructed passage therethrough, a second hose leading from the interior of the buoyant member into the submarine, a pump in the buoyant member having its inlet connected with the second hose and a third hose leading from the outletof the pump to a point adjacent the opposite side of the opening in the buoyant member, those portions of the three hOSe in the buoyant chamber, and the pump, being located adjacent internal walls of the chamber to prevent such parts from interfering with the occupants of the chamber.

BENITO RIVERA. 

